Holdback for vehicles



(No Model.)

B. E. BEEBS. HOLDBAGK FOR VBHIGLE$.

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7 @513 M af'tozmm o W; 7 V V p Patented July 8, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BRADFORD E. BEERS, OF EDGERTON, ASSIGNOR ONE-HALF TO GEORGE H. H. COGSWELL, OF JACKSON, MINNESOTA.

HOLDBACK FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,546, dated July 8, 1890.

Application filed March 28, 1890. Serial No. 345,717. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that. I, BRADFORD E. BEERs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Edgerton, in the county of Pipestone and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Holdback, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to a holdback for connecting the ends of the holdback strap or breeching of a harness with the thills.

The objects of the invention are to produce a cheap'and simple contrivance adapted to be connected to the ends of the breeching or holdback straps to be passed over and looked upon the thills at such a point as to be in accordance with the length of the strap and horse with relation to the thills, thereby avoiding the necessity of wrapping the strap several times around the thills to take up the surplus and then buckling.

A further object of my invention is to facilitate the coupling of the strap to the thills, thus avoiding waste of time and patience in harnessing and unharnessing from the thills; and furthermore, to provide means for positively and automatically locking the coupling device or holdback upon the thills.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of a thill and a portion ofa holdback-strap, the end of which is coupled upon the thill with a holdback constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective in detail of the holdback. Fig. 3 is a transverse section. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section; Fig. 5 is a detail in perspective of the binding device.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all figures of the drawings.

The coupling device proper comprises an inverte :l- U -shaped and preferably malleablycast thill embracing portion 1,which at one end is provided with opposite pintle-eyes 2, forrning one member of a hinge-joint. A pintle 3 is passed through the eyes and pivoted thereupon, and between said eyes is a lug 4, formed upon the rear end of a transverse plate 5, the

opposite end of said plate having a reduced tenon 6, adapted to take into a recess formed in the opposite terminal of the U- shaped clasp. Cast upon the clasp above its recessed end is a pair of perforated lugs 8, in which is mounted a pin 9, and upon the pin there is mounted an intermediate pair of lugs 10, cast f upon the rear side of a locking-lever 11. The locking-lever 11 is extended above the lugs in the form of a thumb-plate 12, and below said lugs is provided with a lower L-shaped portion 13, beveled upon its under edge and normally thrown into the path of the free end of the locking-bar by means of a spring 14, coiled about the bearing-pin and having one end bearing against the exterior of the clasp and its opposite end against the inner side of the locking lever or latch.

The locking-bar is provided at its center with a transverse recess 16, and depending from the bar at the side of the recess are opposite perforated lugs-17, in which is mounted a transverse bearing-pin 18. A lever 19 is mounted upon the pin, and at its lower end merges into a transverse loop 20, adapted to receive the forward end of the holdbackstrap 21, to which the same is permanently buckled. The upper end of the lever is provided with an eccentric or cam-binding face 22, in this instance transversely serrated, as shown, and is normallyelevated above the upper surface of the locking-bar by means of a light coiled spring 23, one end of which is connected to a perforation 24, formed in the locking-bar, and the lower end to a similar perforation 25, formed in the binding-lever below its pivot.

The device being connected, as before mentioned, to the forward end of the binding-lever to apply the coupling or holdback, it is simply necessary to release the locking-lever by depressing the upper end of the springlatch, which permits said locking-lever to swing downwardly upon the hinge, and the clasp is then readily introduced overthe thill and moved up along the thill until the surplus of the holdback-strap has been taken up or consumed. The locking lever. is then raised and engaged by the lower end of the latch against opening. The teeth of the ec- IOO centric-cam end of the lever 19 are disposed to the rear, so that the holdback may be slid forward to tighten the holdback-strap, and when released and strain is applied to the le ver 19 by the strap, said teeth bind against the under sideof the-thill, and prevent any retrograde movement of the holdback, and, in fact, the greater the strain of the holdback- I strap upon the holdback-coupling the more secure does the lever 19 bind the coupling upon the thill, as will be readily apparent.

The above operation having taken place it will be apparent that a most secure and ready connection has been efiected between the holdback-strap and the thill. the strap from the thill it is simply necessary to depress the upper end 12 of the lever 11,

so as to release the free end of the lockingbar and permit the same to swing down,

when the clasp 1 may be raised from over the thill and the uncoupling is effected. These operations, it will be apparent, may be easily accomplished in the dark and by an inexperienced person, so that it is unnecessary to wrap the holdback-strap a certain numberof times around the-thill and buckle the same. Furthermore, said strap is apt, by exposure to the weather, to become rotted and liable to break, thereby frightening the animal and often times causing runaways; but by my invention all of this is avoided.

I have herein illustrated but one of the many ways in which the clasp may be locked upon-the thill; and it will be apparent that various forms of binding devices-may be substituted for the one shown; and I would therefore have it understood that I do not limit my invention to the exact details of construction herein shown and described, but

bar adapted to be locked to the clasp and connected at its terminals, and binding devices mounted in the bar for binding upon:

the thill, substantially as specified.

2. Aholdback comprisinga U-shaped clasp, a locking-bar pivoted to one end of the same and means for locking the free end of the bar to the clasp, a binding-lever having a cam-eccentric face and pivoted in the locking-bar and adapted for connection with the holdback-strap, substantially as specified.

To uncouple 3. Aholdback comprisinga U-shaped clasp, provided at one side with a notch and a pivoted spring-pressed locking-lever, a lockingbar hinged'to the opposite side of the clasp and adapted to have its free end engaged by the locking-lever, a pivoted binding-lever mounted in and projecting through the locking bar and terminating in a loop for connection with the holdback-strap, substantially as specified.

4. The inverted-U-shaped clasp and the locking-bar hinged to one of the terminals thereof and terminating at its opposite end in a reduced tenon adapted to enter a notch or recess in the opposite terminal, a lockinglever having its lower end spring pressed under said tenon, an opening formed in the locking-bar, and a cam-lever pivoted in the opening and having a serrated face projecting above the locking-bar, and at its opposite end terminating in a loop' for connection with a holdback-strap, substantially as specified.

5. The inverted-U-shaped malleable castiron clasp 1, having the opposite pintle receiving lugs 2, the pintle 3, and at its opposite end the recess 7, the lever 11, having lugs 10, mounted upon a bearing-pin 9, set in opposite lugs 8, formed upon the clasp, said lever terminating at its upper end in athumbplate 12, and below the same in a lockingshoulder 13, and the locking-bar 5, having one end provided with a perforated lug and pivoted by the pintle 3 in the lugs 2, its opposite end reduced and adapted to take into the re cess 7 and be engaged by the shoulder 13, said bar being provided with the central opening 16, and opposite lugs 17, having the bearing-pin 18, and the lever 19, pivoted on the pin terminating at its lower end in the loop 20, and having its upper end arranged above the locking-bar and terminating in a cam eccentric 22, and the spring connecting the locking-bar and lever for throwing said eccentric above the locking-bar, substantially as specified.

6. A holdback device consisting of a thill- .inclosing clasp provided with a binding-lever having an inner cam-face and provided at its outer end With aloop for connection with the holdback-strap, as set forth. 7

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BRADFORD E. BEERS.

Witnesses:

J. G. MARSHALL, WEST WEBSTER. 

